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+ 3rd Worst Movie of the Year
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| Star Jackie Chan looks determined holding a handgun on this mostly greyish poster for Benny Chan's New Police Story |
One of Hong Kong Police's top investigators spirals down in drinking following the deaths of 9 subordinates in an attack by a gang of rich-kid rebels, who love X-games, using English phrases as well as masks, bombs and robberies.
New Police Story is written by Alan Yen (Thunder Cop/Xin die xue shuang xiong (1996)) and directed by Benny Chan (A Moment of Romance/Tin joek jau ching (1990)). It is a reboot of the Police Story franchise, which at the time were 4 hit action movies from 1985-96.
Jackie Chan (Supercop 2/Chiu kup gai wak (1993)) returns to lead again, and he is sympathetic as few major stars. The fighting scenes are well choreographed, and they are the film's biggest asset.
Apart from them, New Police Story is a package of wall-to-wall unreality and ridiculous mumbo-jumbo. Its messy story shortly suggests that the villain was abused by his police chief father, and it also devotes a good amount of time on Chan's unfunny, peacocking partner, who turns out to be full of lies, as well as Chan's character's relationship with his girlfriend. - The latter is explored in scenes that break new ground in being ridiculously, pathetically sentimental.
New Police Story is obviously more of a business calculation than a movie all the way through, replete with several very undisguised product placements and elements to appeal to every major demographic. But what makes it unbearable above all else is the talking down to the audience, who New Police Story's idiot filmmakers must surely have taken to be idiots, - which is a serious transgression.
Related post:
2004 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Cost: Reportedly 10 mil. $
Box office: In excess of 15.03 mil. $
= Some uncertainty but appears a big flop (returned at least 1.5 times its cost)
[New Police Story premiered 23 September (Thailand) and runs 124 minutes. Shooting took place in Hong Kong. The film did most of its business in Asia: In China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea. It was the 4th highest-grossing domestic release of the year in Hong Kong and was released straight-to-DVD in North America. It was nominated for 8 Hong Kong Film awards. Chan returned in the franchise's next film, Police Story 2013 (2013), a much bigger hit. Benny Chan returned with Divergence/Saam cha hau (2005). Jackie Chan returned first in The Myth/San wa (2005). 23,004 IMDb users have given New Police Story a 7.0/10 average rating.]
What do you think of New Police Story?
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